Shelby Steps Up
by DARecruit
Summary: Shelby Corcoran is not at all pleased with her daughter after learning Rachel sent a girl to a crack house in an effort to keep her from joining the Glee Club. As she makes her way over to the dads' house and Rachel, Shelby reminisces about her progression in Rachel's life from friend to mother. AU from Theatricality on and explores what would have happened if Shelby stayed.


**Hello Readers! Here's a new one-shot I hope you enjoy. It has nothing to do with other one-shots I've done. With this one, I wanted to explore what would have happened if Shelby had stuck around after she popped up in Season One. There's a bit of material from Theatricality in here, as well as the crack house incident from episode one of Season Two.**

 **Note: Section in _italics_ are flashbacks/memories of Shelby's. They jump from one to another pretty quickly. Hope it doesn't prove confusing!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Love from DARecruit**

* * *

 **Shelby Steps Up**

Shelby sat at a red-light, tapping her thumbs against the steering wheel impatiently. She was furious. She had overheard a conversation between a few of her students during the beginning of practice. Sunshine, the new transfer from McKinley, had been telling a group of kids about her short but horrific experience at the other school. Apparently a girl in New Directions had given her directions to a crack house instead of the real location of tryouts and Sunshine's parents had immediately pulled her daughter from the school once they learned the truth.

Shelby had been about to break up the chatter and get back to business when she overheard a familiar name—her daughter's.

"Say that again," Shelby demanded, coming up behind the small group and making them all jump.

Sunshine turned towards her new coach, her mouth going dry. This woman was intimidating to say the least.

"R-Rachel Berry, ma'am," the girl said.

Silence fell over the rest of the group as they watched Shelby with bated breath. The older students knew that Rachel Berry was Coach Corcoran's daughter and knew of their reunion last April. They had, after all, witnessed Rachel's shocking revelation during one of their rehearsals.

The silence permeated the space and made the kids nervous; they began to whisper amongst themselves. Shelby shook herself from her stupor and snapped her fingers, the sound echoing in the large auditorium.

"Rehearsal's canceled," she said crisply. "You better enjoy today because tomorrow's practice will seem like the ninth circle of Hell."

Shelby turned and walked up the long aisle to the doors, her heels clacking thunderously with each step.

Once in her office, Shelby immediately called Will Schuester to get the details. She drummed her fingers against her desk and bounced her leg up and down as she waited for the man to pick up.

"Shelby, this is a surprise," Will answered. "How are you?"

"Will, did you know Rachel sent Sunshine Corazon to a crack house last week and that's why she's now on my team? I thought it was odd the girl transferred two weeks after the new school year began. If you didn't know, you do now. I'm going to make sure Rachel knows what she did was beyond wrong, but if you'd like to handle it on your end as well, I understand—but can you do me a favor and keep it out of Figgins' office?"

"Shelby, take a breath," Will said more for his sake than hers. He needed a minute to process the woman's words; he wasn't expecting her to go off on a rant the moment he answered. "You didn't know anything about this?"

"You knew and didn't call me? Will, Rachel sent a girl to a _crack house!_ You didn't think her dads and I deserved to know about this?" Shelby sputtered. She didn't have much respect for Will Schuester as it was, but this was a new low even for him.

"I sent a note home with Rachel last Wednesday along with a detention slip with your signature on both and…You didn't sign them, did you?"

"Of course I didn't! Don't you think I would have called you right away?" Shelby growled.

Will groaned. He couldn't believe Rachel had gotten one over on him—again. When it came to that girl, Will lost all his good sense. She utilized her acting abilities to her advantage at every possible turn. She would rant and storm out on teachers and peers alike, leaving them wondering what on Earth had just happened. Will saw the same traits in Shelby—she just knew when to use them.

"I'm sorry, Shelby. I should have known."

"No, you did everything right. Rachel is the one in the wrong here. How did this even happen? Why would Rachel send Sunshine to a crack house? What was the point?"

"Rachel wouldn't tell me much, but from what I could gather, she was jealous of Sunshine's talent and felt threatened by her. She said she didn't want any new members to join the club because they are a family and she didn't want anyone coming in and messing that up. What she _really_ didn't want was more competition for solos," Will explained.

"I promise you I will have a lengthy discussion with her," Shelby declared. "How many detentions did you give her?"

"Just the one on Thursday," Will replied.

"What? That's it?" Shelby hissed, shaking her head. How did this man ever get to be a teacher?

"I took away her solos for a month," he offered.

Shelby sighed again, reigning in her anger. She had to admit that taking away her daughter's solos was a good consequence for her. Rachel lived for Glee and performing; banning her from being the center of attention for a while would do the girl some good. Rachel needed to learn that she wasn't the only one with talent and needed to be a team player.

"Well, thank you, Will. I'll be having a talk with little Miss Rachel as soon as I get home. This won't ever happen again," she finished.

"Best of luck, Shelby."

Shelby ended the call and leaned back in her chair, a hand coming to massage her temple. She wasn't looking forward to the conversation she was going to have with Rachel. Up until now, Shelby only had to dole out a brief scolding or a few quick swats for Rachel's disobedience. They were still in their honeymoon phase, but Shelby knew that was all going to end today.

The light turned green and Shelby focused on the road. Her thoughts began to wander once more—this time to the events of the most recent months.

" _Ms. Corcoran? I'm Rachel Berry. I'm your daughter."_

 _The words echoed in Shelby's head, fading in and out, getting louder until her ears began to ring. She couldn't do this. Shelby brought a hand to her temple and shook her head back and forth in an effort to erase the words from her mind._

" _I'm so sorry, Rachel. I—I'll call you," Shelby said before rushing off. She didn't look back. She couldn't._

 _Running. That's what Shelby Corcoran was good at. Running from her dreams. Running from commitment. Running from her daughter._

 _Rachel had told her about how her dads would bring her water when she was sad. That's what parents did, didn't they? They comforted their children when they were scared and nervous. They stood by them through the new and unknown. They were ready and waiting to catch them if they fell._

 _What had she been thinking?_

 _"Mom?"_

 _Shelby's head snapped up at the timid little voice. She had just sent her Glee Club off for a five-minute break. She needed it more than they did; they didn't deserve it. She wanted perfection from them and they were falling flat._

 _The woman's eyes fell on the young face of the fifteen-year-old girl she had gone to such great lengths to reel in. It had been a week since she last saw the girl. She thought about her every single waking moment of her day. She had picked up the phone to call her hundreds of times, but ended each call before the first ring. It was better this way, she had convinced herself. Rachel was all grown up and already had two parents. She didn't need a third._

 _"Honey, you've gotta stop sneaking into these rehearsals," Shelby heard herself say. Those weren't the words she had wanted to say. They weren't the feelings in her heart. She was pushing this child away but she was helpless to stop it._

 _"This is kind of important," the girl replied, her voice soft._

 _Shelby let out a sigh and tilted her head, waiting._

 _Shelby watched as Rachel unbuttoned her jacket, revealing an outfit made out of—were those stuffed animals? "Oh dear God," she breathed, sitting back._

 _Rachel met her mother's eyes slowly, a wordless plea. "My dads can't sew," she said. "I really need a mom right now. Do you think you can help?"_

 _There was hope in the girl's eyes and Shelby's heart skipped a beat._

 _Shelby sat in Will's office, her eyes scanning the room. They had said their pleasantries and went back and forth with some small talk, but now things were getting awkward._

" _I know why you called, and don't worry about it. My reconnection with Rachel is not some kind of plot to mess with your Glee Club before regionals," Shelby said with a gentle chuckle. She couldn't believe the man lacked so much confidence in himself and his Glee Club that he was threatened of her and Rachel's…whatever they had._

" _I'm not worried about regionals. It's Rachel," Will said, and Shelby dropped her gaze._

" _She's fragile. Over-emotional. And she's clearly convinced herself that you are as committed to this reunion as she is. And I don't think you are. You're not prepared to have a teenage daughter…are you?"_

" _I can't have any more kids. There were issues a few years back. Then some surgery, and that's that," Shelby answered. She gave herself a moment to feel that sadness of knowing she wouldn't ever give birth to a child of her own._

" _I really wanted a daughter. That's why it was so important to me to make that bond with her. But you're right. I wanted my baby back. Rachel's practically an adult now. She doesn't need me," Shelby confided, unsure of why she was baring her soul to this man she hardly knew. Damn him for getting her to reveal her true feelings._

" _Shelby, I can't tell you what to do…But if you really love her, you have to tell her what you just told me."_

 _Damn him for making sense! Shelby nodded and stood. "Goodbye, Will."_

" _Think about what I said, Shelby," Will called out, pleading._

 _Shelby paused at the door, her back to man at the desk. She could feel his eyes on her, sizing her up. "I will," she said before making her leave._

 _Shelby stood off to the side, watching Rachel shuffle sheet music at the piano. The girl looked so small in this moment, so young. Shelby debated for half a second if she should turn around and leave before Rachel saw her, but the moment had passed. Rachel turned and smiled at her._

" _So, how'd your dads come up with 'Rachel'?" she asked, stepping forward and putting on a show face that would cure cancer._

" _They were—um—big Friends fans," Rachel said. She paused, looking hopefully at Shelby, and then added, "I know why you're here...to say goodbye."_

 _Shelby's face fell and she gave Rachel a sympathetic smile. "I really wanted this to work. Do you know what really turned me?" she said, resting her elbows on the piano. Rachel stared at her expectantly._

" _That story that you told me about your dads and how they'd bring you water when you were sad. We're never going to have anything like that. It's too late for us. I just think that anything we share right now is gonna be confusing for you."_

 _Rachel lowered her gaze and then met Shelby's once more. Shelby saw so much sadness there and she thought her heart was going to break in two._

" _I just don't understand. You're my mom. I feel awful right now and…I should want to fall into your arms and let you rock me and tell me everything is gonna be fine, but…I just don't feel it," the girl said._

 _Rachel's eyes were shiny with unshed tears and Shelby had to push down a lump in her throat._

" _It's because I'm your mother, but I'm not your mom," she answered._

" _So what? Do we just pretend we don't know each other?"_

 _Shelby frowned. She didn't think she could be Rachel's mom, but that didn't mean she wanted to not know the girl. She just didn't know how to know her right now. Taking a breath, Shelby said, "That seems silly. Let's just be grateful for one another…from afar. For a while."_

 _She saw Rachel's shoulders slump and she second-guessed herself. No. This was best for them. It was._

" _Don't think for a second I'm gonna go soft on you during regionals," she added to lighten the mood._

 _Rachel sniffed even as the corner of her mouth lifted. "Bring it," she chuckled._

" _Can I have a hug goodbye?" Shelby asked, sensing that Rachel needed that comfort and closeness in this moment. For that matter, so did Shelby._

" _Sure," Rachel sniffed._

 _Shelby wanted to run around the piano to get to her daughter faster, but she made herself go slow. She couldn't show how much she wanted this. It would only confuse Rachel._

 _The woman opened her arms and Rachel latched onto her in an instant and held on tightly. Shelby closed her eyes and allowed herself to relish this closeness, knowing it was the last time she would hold her child. She would walk away and let Rachel go back to her life with her dads. Go back to normal. She wouldn't miss Shelby._

 _With a heavy heart, Shelby pulled back from the hug, knowing it was only going to get harder the longer she dragged this out. She turned to her bag and pulled out a white box with a pink bow on top._

" _Can you do me a favor?" she asked, turning to show the box to Rachel. She gently opened the top and pulled out a glass water cup with a gold star on it. "Sometime when you're thirsty, can you get yourself some water from this cup? Gold stars are kinda my thing."_

 _Rachel took the cup from Shelby and turned it in her hand, examining it. "Of course," she said, sniffling once more._

 _Shelby smiled and turned to leave, but Rachel spoke up once more._

" _Shelby…before you go, will…will you sing with me? Just one time. It's sort of a fantasy of mine, and it would really mean a lot to me," she said._

" _I would be honored," Shelby said._

 _Shelby's heels clacked loudly against the speckled linoleum floor in the deserted hallway. She was returning to her office after her last class of the day, hoping to get a moment of peace before she had to oversee today's Vocal Adrenaline practice in little more than an hour. As she came up to her locked office, she noticed two men standing outside it, their backs turned to her._

 _A wave of dread washed over her as one of the men began to turn and recognition hit her. LeRoy Berry. Shelby felt her mouth go dry and her heart thump inside her chest. She thought for sure it would betray her and call attention to where she stood, rooted to the spot._

 _Shelby considered making a run for it, but it was too late. Both men had now turned to look at her. Shelby blanched. This was the moment her life would end. The Berry men were certainly here to tell her they were taking her to court for breaking the contract._

 _That damn contract. There wasn't a day that went by that Shelby didn't regret her actions. She never should have signed it. Surely she could have fought it. Why didn't she?_

 _She was young, barely twenty-one. She had needed money at the time so she could go to New York and make it big on Broadway. She had answered an ad in the paper for a surrogate for two gay men wanting to start a family. It had seemed like such a simple thing at the time. Carry the baby for them, deliver it, get her money, and go. It was a means to an end for her, but she hadn't realized how hard it would all be, in the end._

 _From the very moment Shelby looked down at the pee stick and saw the two pink lines appear, her world had changed. She was growing a life inside her, a child. Someone who was connected to her and shared her blood. But still she convinced herself that what she was doing was a good thing. She was helping two men start a family. And she herself could follow her dreams of being a star._

 _Nine months passed quickly and Shelby was in the delivery room before she knew it. No one was there for her, she was completely alone. The labor was painful. Shelby was exhausted. She remembered being told the fathers had been called and would be there to see the baby. She hadn't even been allowed to hold her little girl. Lawyers had come along with the Berry men and Shelby was signing the documents before she had even cleaned up from the birth. And just like that, the little person she had cared for and loved for nine months was gone. Swept away like smoke in the wind._

 _Shelby had taken her money, bought a bus ticket to New York, and had been on her way. She found a tiny studio apartment in the city, worked as a waitress, and went on audition after audition. She was confident that she would make her break and make it big._

 _Her confidence waned after two years had passed and she was no nearer her dream. Shelby had to come to terms with reality and so she moved back home to Ohio. She took a teaching job and settled into the day-to-day life of suburbia. She soon found herself coach of the school's show choir and jumped in with both feet._

 _Shelby immersed herself in her work and was happy. She became the best show choir director in the district and then the state. She had no time for romance and so never married. Awards and trophies lined her shelves both at school and at home. The only thing she regretted in this whole time was giving up her daughter._

 _She had gone back and forth over the years on whether she should contract the Berry men or not. Maybe they could come to an arrangement and Shelby wouldn't have to wait until Rachel was eighteen to form a bond with her. Maybe she could be in the girl's life sooner. But Shelby never called and so the years passed and she was left to wonder._

 _Hiram smiled and waved and somehow Shelby's feet carried her over to the men._

" _Shelby, it's been too long. You look wonderful," Hiram greeted, pulling her into a hug._

" _How have you been?" LeRoy added as he too gave her a hug._

 _As a shell-shocked Shelby was passed from one man to the other, she wondered if perhaps she was dreaming. There was no way that this could be real. Why on earth would the Berry men be here at work to see her if they weren't here to yell?_

" _H-Hiram, LeRoy," she breathed, finally free from their embrace. "T-This is a surprise."_

" _It really shouldn't be after what happened between you and Rachel last week," Hiram said._

 _Shelby's blood ran cold. This was the moment she had been waiting for. How could she have been so stupid? Rachel was their daughter and she had no rights to her. She wasn't supposed to have contacted her, and she was sure the fact that she had used another minor to bait and trap Rachel would only make matters worse for her._

" _I promise nothing will happen between Rachel and me," she said breathlessly._

" _It's a little late for that, Shelby," Hiram said. "Rachel has been crying non-stop since it happened."_

" _That's not what I wanted. You have to believe me, I—I just wanted to see her. I'll leave her alone, I won't contact her or you ever again. I'm so sorry—"_

" _Whoa. Easy there, killer. That's not what we're saying at all," LeRoy cut in, his hands held up in surrender._

" _It's not?" said Shelby, not believing her ears._

" _No," he confirmed._

" _Then what—"_

" _We think it's time that you and Rachel get to know one another," Hiram said._

" _You do?" Shelby questioned, once again thinking she must be dreaming._

" _Yes," said Hiram._

" _I think we should move this conversation into your office," LeRoy added._

 _The fathers agreed to let Shelby and Rachel have weekly dinners together every Friday night. Shelby had made it clear to both the Berry men and Rachel on the very first night that she wasn't trying to step on anyone's toes. Rachel already had two parents and Shelby felt she didn't need a third._

" _You don't want to be my mom?" Rachel asked during dinner._

" _No, of course I want to be your—That's not what I—Rachel, honey…" Shelby faltered, unsure of how to explain. She met the teenager's eyes from across the table and sighed. This wasn't how she wanted this conversation to go._

" _I just think we should be friends and get to know one another. I don't want to confuse you and so I don't think I should…that I should be a parent in your life," Shelby explained._

" _But…you are my parent," Rachel replied, her eyebrows knitted._

" _Oh honey," Shelby soothed, rising from her chair to come around to Rachel's side. She knelt down so she was looking up at her daughter and took the girl's hands in her own. "I meant that I shouldn't enforce rules or dole out discipline to you. Not right now. You have your dads for that. I want to be fun and be the one you come to for dating advice and boyfriend trouble. I want to be able to listen to your secrets and spend nights gossiping about all the drama at school."_

 _Shelby looked into Rachel's eyes as she spoke, hoping they would reveal what the girl was thinking. She hoped her own conveyed all the love she felt inside. She loved Rachel with all of her heart. She wanted so much to be a part of the girl's life. This was how she could do that right now._

" _I'd like that, Shelby," Rachel finally said with a small smile._

 _Shelby returned the smile with one of her own, pushing down the burning pain in her chest. It felt like a searing knife was piercing her heart every time Rachel called her 'Shelby' instead of 'Mom', but Shelby knew she couldn't have it both ways. She couldn't expect Rachel to honor her with that title if she couldn't provide the girl with everything that name stood for._

 _Shelby looked down and saw Rachel's name flash across her screen. Her heart fluttered and she answered with a smile on her face._

" _Hi baby, what's—Rachel, what's wrong?" Shelby urged, hearing the sobs on the other end of the phone._

" _C-Can you come get me?" cried Rachel._

" _Of course. I'll be right there!" Shelby said as she grabbed her purse and hurried to the door._

 _Shelby pulled up in the McKinley parking lot and spotted Rachel sitting on a nearby bench immediately. She saw the girl was covered in something, but she had no idea what. Since it was late in the day, Shelby didn't bother to park or even turn off the engine. She jumped out of her Range Rover and ran around to the back to grab the blanket she always kept in there. It would do well enough for a towel to wipe off whatever was all over her daughter._

" _Rachel," she called as she rushed over. As she neared, it was clear that Rachel was covered in raw eggs. "What happened?"_

" _Shelby," Rachel cried, relief etched on her face, "I was egged!"_

" _I see that. Who did it?" Shelby asked as she started dabbing at the worst of the attack. She held her breath as the eggs were beginning to dry and smelled rancid. She wondered how Rachel could stand it, but pushed the thought aside to tend to the task._

" _J-Jesse and the rest of Vocal A-Adrenaline!" wailed the girl._

" _WHAT?" Shelby yelled, making the girl jump. She took a steading breath to calm herself. Rachel didn't need to be upset any more than she already was. "Don't worry, honey, they won't get away with this," she promised._

 _A dark look passed over Shelby's face as she thought of the best way to punish her team for what they did to her daughter. They would pay, Jesse St. James most of all._

" _All those poor baby chicks!" Rachel sobbed, bringing Shelby back to the matter at hand._

" _C'mon, honey, let's get you home so you can clean up," Shelby soothed, wrapping the blanket around Rachel's shoulders. She led the girl to the car and helped her into the front seat, making sure the blanket was between Rachel and the leather seat._

 _Shelby had called the Berry men while Rachel was in the shower, letting them know what happened and that she would keep Rachel for dinner if that was alright with them._

" _Of course she can stay for dinner, Shelby!" Hiram chuckled on the other side of the line. "You don't need to ask!"_

" _I didn't want to overstep my—"_

" _In fact, why don't you keep her for the night?" LeRoy chimed in._

" _W-what?" Shelby sputtered, shocked at the turn of events. She was still getting used to the weekly dinners, and now they wanted Rachel to stay the night? The idea made Shelby nervous, but it also made her heart soar._

 _A part of Shelby was still waiting for reality to sink back in and for her to wake up from this dream. She couldn't believe the Berry men were okay with her seeing Rachel on a regular basis. When she had given birth to the girl, she wasn't even allowed to hold her because it went against the contract. They seemed to have thrown that out the window now, but Shelby was still scared they'd pull the rug out from under her at any moment._

" _I think Rachel could use a little Mommy and Me time, so to speak. I'm sure you'd like a girl's night with her, right?" LeRoy went on._

" _O-of course," Shelby said, her heart racing._

" _Great! It's all settled!" LeRoy beamed._

" _Wait, but…I don't have anything here for her," Shelby panicked._

" _Oh that's easy to fix!" said Hiram. "We'll stop by later with an overnight bag for her!"_

 _Shelby had just gotten off the phone with the men when Rachel came padding down the stairs dressed in a pair of dark gray sweats and a red Carmel t-shirt that Shelby had lent her. The legs of the sweats had to be rolled up several times in order for Rachel's feet to peek out the bottom._

 _Shelby smiled and patted the spot next to her, pleased when Rachel sat and curled up into her side. Shelby wrapped an arm around the small teen and planted a soft kiss to the girl's temple._

" _Do you feel better after your shower?" she asked. Rachel nodded and snuggled closer._

" _Thanks for coming to get me," the girl whispered._

" _I'm here any time you need me, Rachel," Shelby said, meeting the girl's eyes._

 _Rachel nodded, a shy smile playing on her lips. She let out a soft sigh and then slowly lowered her head onto Shelby's shoulder._

" _Shelby?" Rachel piped up after some time._

" _Hmm?"_

" _I'm glad you decided not to be grateful for me from afar," she said._

" _Me too, honey,"_ _Shelby agreed, placing a kiss to Rachel's head._

" _There are some things a girl just needs a mom for,"_ _the girl continued, glancing up at her mother, no doubt to gauge Shelby's reaction._

 _Shelby smiled and pulled the girl closer against her, squeezing her gently. With her free hand, she brushed a strand of hair back from Rachel's face._

" _I love you, Rachel."_

" _You do?" the girl asked in awe._

" _Of course I do, silly."_

" _I…I love you too, Shelby," Rachel whispered, turning red. She cast her eyes down and played with a ring on Shelby's finger._

" _Hey, are you getting hungry?" Shelby asked to break up the awkwardness that had settled over them. "I was thinking we could order dinner and put on a movie."_

" _That sounds good. Did you call my dads to tell them I was here?"_

" _I did."_

" _What time do I have to be home? That'll determine what movie we can watch. Funny Girl is my first choice, of course, but it's a longer movie and I want to be able to finish whatever we decide," Rachel rambled._

" _You're staying here with me tonight…as long as that's okay with you. So we can watch whatever you want," said Shelby._

" _What? Do my dads know? I don't have anything here. I need to do my nightly skincare routine, if I skip it even for one night, I'll break out and that's not conducive to becoming a Broadway star. Besides, it's a school night and—"_

" _Whoa! Easy, kid," Shelby cut in, holding her hands up in surrender. She waited until she had Rachel's full attention before continuing. "Your dads are going to stop over later with an overnight bag. But honey, you don't have to stay if you'd rather go home. Your dads and I just thought you might like a night with me."_

" _Oh," said the girl. "So…Funny Girl?"_

 _The weeks passed and a schedule was worked out so that Rachel could spend one or two days during the week plus every other weekend with Shelby. Shelby's guest room was transformed into Rachel's bedroom and her home transformed from the place she came home to after work to the place she made memories with her daughter in._

 _With her growing place in Rachel's life, Hiram and LeRoy sat Shelby down to give her a few tips on Rachel. They had warned her not to get complacent with their daughter's behavior because it wouldn't last. Shelby brushed them aside with little thought to the reality of their warnings. She was an award-winning choir director and tenured teacher of twelve years. She had seen everything. How hard could Rachel be, really?_

 _True to their word, Shelby began to see a change in Rachel almost immediately. Gone was Rachel's staunch respectfulness and agreeability. Shelby was becoming increasingly accustomed to a sassy and stubborn teenager who had an answer for everything._

 _To combat Rachel's newfound brazenness, Shelby found herself drawing inspiration from her alter ego, Coach Corcoran. She was still finding her footing as mother, but at least she knew how to deal with teens from her years of teaching. So far, Shelby had only had to scold Rachel when she got a little too far out of line. She had been fortunate enough not to have experienced anything warranting more than that._

" _Rachel, I said no. Drop it," Shelby said firmly. She was busy making dinner for the pair of them and Rachel was arguing with her about going to a party later that night. Shelby had told the girl 'no' a thousand times, and she had heard a thousand reasons why she should change her mind._

" _But Shelby, the entire Glee Club is going! I'll be the only one not there," Rachel challenged._

" _There is no way everyone else's parents are going to agree to let their fifteen and sixteen year olds go to a college party. The answer is no. I'm not going to tell you again," Shelby chided._

" _My dads would let me go!" the teen yelled, stomping her foot._

 _Shelby turned from chopping vegetables to level Rachel with her signature Coach Corcoran glare. It was known far and wide among her students and put the fear of God into them. Rachel wasn't fazed. She returned Shelby's glare with an almost identical one of her own._

" _First off, it's my weekend and what I say goes. Second, I know for a fact your dads wouldn't let you go either," she said, pinching the bridge of her nose. She hadn't expected to start their Friday night off on a bad note._

" _Ugh!" the girl groaned. "I don't know why I bothered asking you!"_

" _Because if you hadn't, you'd be in a lot of trouble when I caught you," Shelby replied, her voice low._

" _It's not like you'd be able to do anything to me," Rachel mumbled, arms crossed._

" _What was that?"_

" _You can't do anything to me," Rachel repeated, louder this time._

" _You think so, young lady?" countered Shelby, her eyes steely._

" _I do. You'd have to tell my dads and let them handle it," the girl sassed, glaring at her mother smugly. "I could go to that party tonight and there's nothing you can do to stop me."_

 _Shelby had had enough. She crossed the kitchen and snatched Rachel up by her arm. In the next second she had the girl tucked under her right arm as her left swung high in the air. Her hand cracked down on Rachel's skirt-covered bottom with a resounding smack. She followed up with three more swats before setting Rachel upright._

" _I promise you, Rachel, there's a lot I could do to stop you. I hope you don't put me in that position though," Shelby said, staring into her daughter's tear-filled eyes._

 _Rachel stared back, eyes wide and unblinking before the girl slammed into Shelby in her haste to hug the woman._

" _I'm sorry, Mom," she sniffed, her voice muffled against Shelby's chest._

 _Shelby moaned as all the air was forced from her lungs, but she smiled and hugged Rachel back tightly. Her heart fluttered at being called 'Mom'. It wasn't at all how the mother envisioned this moment would have played out. She never once, in all of her wildest fantasies, imagined it would happen just after she'd swatted Rachel's bottom. Even so, this moment was perfect and the mother would never ever forget it._

 _As summer approached, Shelby couldn't imagine life being any better. She and Rachel had taken to their mother and daughter relationship like fish to water. It was so natural that it was hard to remember sometimes that they hadn't been in each other's lives since the very beginning._

 _Shelby was sitting in the Berry family's living room one night after dinner, enjoying the company, when Hiram cleared his throat._

" _Since everyone's here, I thought we'd have a family meeting," he began._

 _Rachel jumped up from her spot in the armchair and skipped over to Shelby who was seated on the sofa. Without a word, she curled onto Shelby's lap, leaning her body back against her mother's. She tilted her head towards the woman and whispered into her ear, "You're going to like this!"_

" _Shelby, I know I speak for all of us when I say we are so happy to have you as a part of our family. These last few months have been eye opening for all of us, I think. LeRoy and I learned that we can share our most precious treasure and it doesn't take away from what we have with Rachel. Rachel's learning what it means to have a mother and be loved and held accountable by one more parent in her life. And you, Shelby, are learning just what it means to be part of this crazy family. I think you're also learning that it isn't as easy as you thought it might be."_

 _Everyone laughed as Hiram finished and flashed an impish grin towards Shelby. Shelby felt her heart beam with pride and love for these men and their little girl. She couldn't believe it had been almost three months since Rachel announced herself at one of the Vocal Adrenaline practices and this whole adventure began. It felt much longer to the mother—and, she was sure, to the three other individuals in the room._

" _Hiram and I recently went to see our lawyer, and we've had the contract nullified. We also had him draft up a petition to get your parental rights reinstated, we just need your signature—if you'd like, that is," LeRoy said with an air of nonchalance._

" _W-What?" Shelby stammered, clearly not having heard right. She looked back and forth between the two men seated across from her in disbelief._

 _Rachel leapt off of Shelby's lap while she was in shock and ran back a moment later, shoving a legal packet and pen in her face._

 _"You have to sign here, Mom," said the girl, pointing to the signature line at the bottom._

 _"Wh—I don't understand," Shelby said as she took the papers and pen from her daughter. Her eyes scanned the words, but she wasn't retaining anything._

 _"You're Rachel's mom in every way except legally. We were wrong all those years ago, Shelby, and we'd like to fix that now. If you sign those papers, you will be able to have your rights reinstated in about two weeks," said LeRoy._

 _Shelby met the men's eyes with tear-filled ones of her own. She couldn't believe what they were saying. This was indeed a dream come true—on top of all that they had already given her._

 _"I—Thank you," she managed to choke out before breaking down. Rachel was at her side in an instant, clinging to her and handing her tissues. Shelby had just taken a handful of them when she found herself pulled off of the sofa and into the strong arms of Hiram Berry._

 _"It's the least we could do after all you've given us," he whispered in her ear. She felt him kiss the top of her head as he swayed them from side to side._

 _Shelby was eventually passed to LeRoy who hugged her fiercely. As he was pulling back, he warned good-naturedly, "If you sign those papers, you're officially stuck with us forever."_

 _"I wouldn't want it any other way," she said._

Shelby pulled up into the Berrys' driveway and turned her car off. She sat in silence, listening to the pings of the engine as it settled down. She had calmed down considerably on the ride over, but now that she was about to confront Rachel, her anger and disappointment were making a return.

Sighing, the mother got out of the car and walked determinedly up the walk to the front porch. She let herself into the house, calling out a hello as she entered the foyer. As she came around the corner to the dining room and kitchen area, Shelby could see Hiram and LeRoy busy making dinner.

"Shelby! What are you doing here?" Hiram greeted with a wave of his hand. He stirred the contents of his pot a few times before putting the lid on top and turning towards the woman.

"I got some news from a student today about Rachel that you'll want to hear. Where is she anyway?" Shelby replied as she was scooped into a hug.

"She's upstairs doing her homework," said LeRoy, hugging her next. "Do you want me to tell her you're here?"

"What did you hear? All good things, I hope," Hiram chimed in.

"No, let's wait to call her down. I need to talk to you both first," said Shelby as she took a seat at the small round kitchen table.

"Uh oh, that doesn't sound good," LeRoy surmised as he and his husband joined Shelby.

"It's not. Apparently our darling daughter sent a girl to a crack house last week to keep her out of the Glee Club. And then she was given detention and lost the chance at solos for a month from Will Schuester and instead of telling us, she forged my signature on Will's note and detention slip and turned them back in," Shelby said, forgoing the sugar coating.

"WHAT?" the men chorused.

"How did she…Why did she—What was she thinking?!" LeRoy faltered, his face betraying his anger.

"I intend to find out, but I wanted to talk to you both about how we should handle this situation first," said Shelby.

"She's never done anything like this. How do we even begin to handle it? Should we ground her?" Hiram questioned, looking to his husband and Shelby for answers.

"What else could we do, really?" LeRoy agreed. "She's a good kid. I'm sure a good lecture will get our disappointment across, and we can ground her for, what? A week? Two weeks?"

Shelby groaned internally, looking back and forth from the two men. She loved them, but they weren't very good disciplinarians. Rachel had wrapped them around her little finger early on and they had been suckered ever since.

"You both are ridiculous," she chided lightly. "I've seen how your groundings normally go. You tell Rachel she's grounded for two weeks and we're lucky if you keep it up for two days."

"But Shelby, you don't know the power of her pouts. Her little brown eyes and that lip and— _oh_ ," Hiram crooned, his face brightening at the thought of Rachel's puppy dog pout.

"I got my immunization against them," Shelby deadpanned. "Seriously guys, now is not the time to go soft on her. She sent a girl to a crack house, for crying out loud! And as if that wasn't enough, let's not forget she forged my signature as well. What the hell was she thinking?!"

Hiram managed to look chastised and nodded along. "No, I know—you're right. We've just never been good at punishing her. It breaks our hearts to hear her cry. LeRoy and I are both big softies when it comes to Rachel."

"I know you're both softies. That's why I think I should handle this punishment. I'm used to being the hard ass and making kids cry. I can handle Rachel," Shelby said.

"It's a lot harder when it's your own kid," LeRoy warned.

"I know," Shelby sighed. "I have a feeling I'm about to find out just how hard but…One of us has to be the bad guy. If you two can't do it, I'm okay with filling that role."

Shelby was feeling much more sure of herself now, while Rachel was safe upstairs and out of her sight. She wasn't at all sure how she would react once Rachel was in front of her and she had the task of meting out the punishment. Could she really go through with it if Rachel started crying?

"So," LeRoy leaned his elbows on the table, "How do you want to handle this, Shelby?"

Shelby sighed. She knew how she wanted to handle it, but she was worried how the Berry men would react.

"We trust you, Shelby. Talk to us and let us know what you're thinking. We're open to whatever you have to say," LeRoy added when he noticed Shelby's hesitation.

"Well…I think she should be grounded for two weeks. And she'll stay with me during the duration of it, of course," Shelby began, eyeing the men nervously to gauge their reactions. Both nodded along; they were on the same page so far.

"So no TV, phone, computer, iPod…that kind of stuff. Nine o'clock bedtime during the week, and no Glee after school. I'll need one of you to pick her up from school while I'm at Vocal Adrenaline practices. If you'd like her to have dinner here on school nights, we can do that. And lastly…I think she deserves a spanking."

Shelby sat back in her chair and again looked to the men to see if she could determine their reaction. She waited with bated breath as they glanced at one another before returning to her.

"I…We-We've never dealt with something like this. Is that…Do you think that's too much—grounded _and_ missing Glee? She loves Glee," Hiram faltered.

"Stay focused, Hiram. Rachel isn't a baby anymore and she's done something serious here," LeRoy reminded his spouse.

"I know, I just...She's my princess," he quavered.

Shelby gave the taller man a small smile, reaching out to grasp his hand in sympathy. Hiram had always been the more emotional of the two men, even before Rachel was born. He was the one who worried about Shelby and if she was getting enough sleep and eating enough while she was pregnant with Rachel. He would call constantly to check in with her or to just say hi. He hadn't changed in all these years.

"Will seems to think Rachel sent Sunshine to that crack house not only to keep her out of Glee because she was jealous but because she didn't want new competition for solos. He already took away her solos for a month, but I think we need to reiterate it by keeping her from participating in practices for two weeks and really drive the lesson home. She isn't the only pebble on the beach and the sooner she learns that, the better," she said.

"I think it fits the crime," LeRoy agreed.

Hiram sighed and nodded; he agreed with what the other two were saying, it was just hard for him to come to terms with it. "What about the spanking? We've never spanked her before," he asked.

"We've thought about it though. We've just never gone through with it…but she's never done anything like this. I think this time…I think it's warranted," LeRoy countered.

"I want you to both be comfortable with my decision. I was spanked a few times growing up, and it always worked for me. Rachel is so much like me as it is…I think it would benefit her just as much," said Shelby and LeRoy nodded. Shelby was relieved that she seemed to have him on her side. Hiram was having a harder time with this whole ordeal.

"Can I ask…um…" Hiram paused to clear his throat. "How w-will you—ahem—spank her? You won't use a belt or anything like that, right?"

If this weren't a serious conversation, Shelby would have laughed. "No, of course I'm not going to use a belt. My mother always used her hand and a wooden hairbrush for the last bit—that part was always one swat for each year of my life. She said it helped to reinforce her lesson—believe me, it always did. I was going to do the same with Rachel," she explained.

"That seems fair. My father used to use a paddle on my brother and I and that never failed to make an impression on us. We were only ever spanked for really serious wrongdoings, and I think Rachel's actions certainly fall within those limits," LeRoy agreed.

Shelby saw that tears were welling in Hiram's eyes and she reached out once more to comfort him. "Hiram, if you aren't onboard with this, please tell me. I don't want to do something you are against."

Hiram sniffed and cleared his throat. "N-no," he said hoarsely, "It's not that. I-I'm not against it, I just wish it wasn't necessary."

"So do I," Shelby agreed. "But if this teaches Rachel the lesson we need her to learn, then it's worth it."

"I agree," LeRoy said and Hiram nodded along.

"Should we call her down and get this over with?" Hiram asked a moment later.

"Dinner's almost ready. We might as well eat and then talk to her," LeRoy suggested.

"Are you going to take her home with you before you spank her?" Hiram blurted out.

"That's the plan, yes," said Shelby. "This is something that should be between the two of us. I don't want to embarrass her."

Hiram let out a long sigh of relief. "Good," he breathed, "I don't think I could hold it together if I had to hear it happening."

"I'll go call Rachel down to set the table," LeRoy said as he pushed back from the table.

As LeRoy headed towards the stairs, Hiram returned to the stove to check the meal. Shelby made her way to the powder room to wash her hands and was just returning to the kitchen to see if she could help with anything when Rachel came skipping into the room.

"Mom," the girl stopped in her tracks, a smile lighting up her face. "What are you doing here?"

Shelby met Rachel's eyes and she returned the girl's smile. Enough time had passed that the mother was no longer angry with her daughter—disappointed and determined to get to the bottom of it all, but not angry. She opened her arms wide as the girl bounded over to her, wrapping her arms around Shelby's middle.

"Your dads invited me for dinner," Shelby answered lightly, kissing the top of her daughter's head. She saw no reason to tip Rachel off to the real reason she had come over; there was enough time for that later. For now, she wanted to enjoy Rachel's company.

Dinner was a solemn affair for the three parents, but Rachel seemed not to notice and chatted animatedly about Glee Club. She told them that Tina had gotten the most recent solo, and even though she thought she could do a much better job at it, she conceded that Tina was getting better with each passing day.

LeRoy and Shelby shared a knowing look at their daughter's tale while Hiram tried his hardest not to start crying into his bowl of vegan chili.

As dinner came to a close, Rachel excused herself to start her chore of dishwashing duty. She was just beginning to load the dishwasher when her dads joined her with theirs and Shelby's bowls.

"Rach, let's leave that for now. Mom, Dad, and I want to talk to you about something. Come with us into the living room," LeRoy said, laying his hand on his daughters before she could reach for another dish.

"What do you want to talk to me about?" the girl asked curiously. She eyed her fathers, noting their strange behavior. Her daddy looked solemn and serious while her dad appeared to be minutes from sobbing.

"Let's go sit down first," LeRoy answered.

Rachel sat in the big oversized armchair and stared at her parents, wondering what exactly was going on. Hiram was seated on the sofa across from her, looking back at her with a sad expression. Both LeRoy and Shelby still stood, their posture stiff as they eyed one another.

"What's going on?" Rachel spoke up after the silence had gotten to be too much for her.

LeRoy cleared his throat as he studied his daughter. She looked so little in the big chair. He shook his head to clear those thoughts before turning to Shelby once more. The woman nodded back in encouragement and he found his voice.

"Your mom uncovered some startling news today, Rachel," he began. Rachel stared back at him with a puzzled expression.

"You sent a girl to a crack house last week to keep her from the Glee Club," he said. It wasn't a question.

Shelby watched the panic and shock play across her daughter's face and the girl's wheels churned, no doubt working fast to talk her way out of trouble.

"H-How did you even find out?" came the girl's question. She met her mother's eyes only to quickly cast them down at the flash of anger she saw reflected in them.

"Is that really how you want to start this conversation, Rachel Barbra?" Shelby returned, hands finding her way to her hips.

Rachel turned to her fathers for support. "Daddies, I—"

"What were you thinking, Rachel?" LeRoy asked, cutting the girl off before she could weasel her way under their fragile outer shell. He knew if she worked her usual magic, he and Hiram were goners.

"Do you even realize the danger you put Sunshine in? She could have been attacked or worse!" added Shelby.

"But…I…It wasn't an _active_ crack house," Rachel defended.

"Rachel!" all three adults hissed. Rachel ducked her head and studied her clasped hands. Her parents didn't seem to care about that distinction any more than Mr. Schuester did last week.

"Active or not, what you did was way over the line, Rachel. Your mom, dad, and I are so extremely disappointed with your actions," LeRoy lectured.

"It's not like you to be so cruel, Rachel," Hiram added, his voice calm. He had pulled himself together by now and was beginning to feel his own anger come to the surface. He couldn't believe Rachel could do something like this.

"You've had your own fair share of bullying growing up, I'd have thought you would have been more welcoming and accepting. Haven't Daddy and I taught you at least that much?" he went on.

Rachel felt her stomach flop at her father's scolding. He spoke so evenly and gently, his voice never rising above a conversational tone. It would have been better if he had yelled.

"Dad, I…You and Daddy have," Rachel assured, a lump forming in her throat. Guilt was starting to gnaw at her insides and she squirmed under the scrutiny of her parents.

"So why did you do it, Rach?" Shelby asked.

"I…I did it for the good of the whole club. We didn't need Sunshine coming in and ruining what we had all worked so hard to build. There wasn't any other choice and—"

"There were about a dozen other choices, Rachel. You were jealous of Sunshine's talent and felt threatened by her. You didn't want her to join Glee Club and take solos away from you," Shelby interjected.

"No, Mom. I—I didn't want things to change. We're more than a club, we're family, and I didn't want that to be ruined!" Rachel asserted. "They were finally starting to like me and I didn't want that to stop," she added in barely more than a whisper.

Shelby sighed and her heart went out to her girl. She had learned that Rachel didn't have the greatest luck with friends. Rachel's passion for stardom and perfection didn't exactly make her popular amongst her peers; the girl tended to come off as conceited. Shelby knew she dealt with bullying on an almost daily basis because of it, but Rachel always rose above and held her head high.

Part of her felt guilty for planning to come down so hard on the girl for her actions. She had just revealed that she didn't want to lose her friends by a new addition to the group. Was it really fair for them to be so stern with her because she was scared?

Shelby shook her head. Of course it was. Regardless of Rachel's feelings, she had done wrong. It was up to Shelby and the dads to make sure she saw that. And they had to ensure that she never repeat it.

"Honey, sending another student to a crack house is not the way to prove that you are a good friend or team member," Shelby stated.

"But it wasn't a crack house. It was all boarded up and there were some squatters there…and okay, they stole Sunshine's sheet music and used it as toilet paper, but I bought her new ones!" Rachel reasoned.

Shelby glanced at her comrades in arms and had to cover her mouth to hide her smirk. She saw mirth dancing in both men's eyes and narrowed her own at them; now was not the time for laughing. Still, Shelby couldn't help but find her daughter's words humorous.

"Do you think that makes this situation any less serious?" she asked, schooling her features as she turned her attention back to the teen.

"No," Rachel sighed, hanging her head. She heard her mother clear her throat and she looked back up. She was met with a raised eyebrow—never a good sign.

"Uh—No, ma'am," she amended. She forgot her mother liked her to reply with more formality when they were having a serious conversation; her dads had never enforced that.

"You could have become friends with Sunshine. Instead, you alienated her not only from you but from the club, not to mention the school. And for what? A couple solos? Was it really worth it, Rachel?" Shelby continued.

Rachel sunk lower in the chair, hoping it would swallow her up into its soft cushions. When it didn't, she sighed and shook her head. "It wasn't worth it," she answered.

"No, it wasn't," Shelby repeated. "Especially since it lost you your solos for a month, didn't it?"

Rachel's head snapped up and she gaped at her mother. She wasn't prepared for that sentence to come out of the woman's mouth.

"You lied to us, Rachel," Shelby said.

"Wha—No…I-I didn't," the teen stammered, shaking her head.

"What would you call it then?" asked Shelby. "Not telling us when you get into trouble at school—serious trouble, I might add—is an act of omission, Rachel, and that's just as bad as lying. You knew what you did was wrong and that's why you kept it from us, isn't it?"

"I—No. Mom, I didn't…I…it was just a detention," said Rachel. "I didn't think it was a big deal."

"Oh, I see," Shelby nodded. "So it wasn't a big deal when you sent Sunshine to a crack house because it was inactive. And when Mr. Schuester gave you detention and sent a note home for either your dads or me to sign, you didn't think forging my signature was a big deal because...why?"

Rachel gulped and tried without success to swallow the lump that was growing in her throat. She felt the hot traces of tears against her cheeks and brushed them away with the back of her hand. She chanced a glance at her dads to see if either of them would provide her comfort, but both returned her look with disappointment.

"Well, Rachel?" LeRoy spoke up after enough time had passed without an answer. He stared down expectantly at his child, pushing his urge to scoop her up into his arms aside. Now wasn't the time to coddle her; she needed to understand the seriousness of her actions first.

"I…I'm s-sorry!" the girl broke down, fat tears rolling off of her eyelashes one after the other.

"I think you're only sorry because you've been caught," LeRoy surmised. "Rachel, do you even understand why we are so upset with you?"

"Y-y-yes!" she sobbed, burying her face in her hands.

Hiram sighed as he looked to the two other adults in the room. Without a word, he stood and reached for Rachel's hand. "Alright, hush now," he soothed as he pulled the girl towards him. "You need to calm down or you're going to make yourself sick."

Rachel allowed her dad to help her up and guide her over to the sofa. Hiram returned to his previous seat and she curled up next to him, glad for the bit of comfort she was receiving.

LeRoy seated himself in the chair Rachel had just vacated as Shelby took a seat on the coffee table in front of the girl. Hiram took that opportunity to reach for a few tissues besides him and clean Rachel's face.

"Rachel, why did you sign your mom's name on the note Mr. Schuester sent home?" Hiram asked gently.

"I d-didn't want to get into trouble," she sniffed, her tears falling steadily.

"But by forging your mother's signature, you're in even more trouble than you would have been in to begin with," Hiram stated.

"I'm sorry, Daddies," the girl whimpered. "And M-Mommy!"

Shelby's felt her heart break and her resolve wane. Hiram and LeRoy were right—it _was_ hard to punish your own kid. Already her thoughts wavered on her decision to spank the girl, but she quickly pushed them aside. She was reacting to Rachel calling her 'Mommy', that was all. She had to be stronger than this. She had to do what was best for Rachel…even if that meant giving her a sore, red bottom.

"Let's get back to why we're upset with you," said Hiram. "Do you know why, Rachel? I want to make sure you understand what you did wrong before we move forward here."

"I…I know why," said the girl.

"Tell us why," Hiram prompted.

"Because I sent Sunshine to a crack house…even though it wasn't _really_ a crack house—"

"Rachel," LeRoy's warning sent shivers down Rachel's spine.

"Uh…I-I sent her there to scare her from—um—from trying out for Glee," the girl continued, subdued.

"And?" Shelby prodded.

"And t-then I didn't tell you—uh—that Mr. Schue gave me d-detention and took my solos and, um, I signed Mom's name instead of…t-telling the truth."

"That about sums it up," LeRoy quipped humorlessly.

Rachel could feel her parents' disappointment pushing in around her. She thought it would crush her soon. Her crying increased once more and she turned into her father's shoulder, wishing that by not looking at the situation any longer, it would make it disappear.

"Alright, Rachel, we're almost finished," Shelby spoke up, reaching a hand out to rest on the girl's knee. She patted it reassuringly for a moment before continuing.

"Your dads and I have spoken at length about this, and we've all agreed that you will be grounded for two weeks and you'll stay with me for that time. You've lost your privileges to the TV, computer, and all of your electronic devices—that includes your phone, iPod, stereo, things like that."

"Either your dad or I will pick you up every day right after school and bring you here until your mother comes to get you after she gets home from work," LeRoy included.

"But what about Glee?" Rachel asked, turning tear-stained face on her father.

"While you're grounded, you won't be going to Glee," LeRoy replied.

"No! Please, Daddy! I need Glee!" Rachel implored. She could suffer through her grounding without complaint, but she couldn't possibly live without Glee!

"We think you need some time away from Glee. You put too much emphasis on that club and it's not healthy, Rachel," said Hiram, his voice soft.

"Please don't take away Glee," Rachel cried. "I'm sorry for what I did. Please, Daddies! Mom?"

"You sent Sunshine to that place because you didn't want her in Glee," Shelby began, holding up her hand when Rachel tried to protest. "Whatever your reason for doing it, you need to learn that you are not the only one in that group who has talent."

"But Mom—"

"That's enough, Rachel," Shelby chided. She took a breath and looked towards LeRoy, who nodded.

"There's one last thing…you've also earned yourself a spanking, young lady," Shelby announced.

"No!" Rachel shook her head in dismay.

"Yes," Shelby asserted. "Your actions require more than just a grounding and your dads and I have decided you deserve this spanking."

"But you can't!" Rachel gasped. She then turned an accusatory glare towards her fathers, eyes red and puffy from crying. "Why would you span—do that? You never have before!" She couldn't bring herself to say the word. The whole idea was preposterous anyway.

"You've never crossed the line like this before either," LeRoy answered. "Your Papa would have tanned my bare bottom with his paddle if I had done even _one_ of the things you did, let alone all three."

"But I'm almost sixteen!" the girl protested.

"We aren't going to argue with you about this, Rachel. It's already been decided and is final," said LeRoy, standing up.

"But Daddy—"

"Enough, Rachel," Shelby cut her off. "I want you to go upstairs and start getting your things together so we can leave. It's a school night and you and I still have to deal with this."

"But I—Wait…you're gonna be the one…Mom, no!" Rachel turned imploring eyes onto her dad still sitting next to her. He had grown quiet and she could have sworn she heard him sniffling just a moment ago. When she met his eyes, she saw a deep sadness reflected back at her. If she could get him on her side, she thought she could be spared.

"Dad, please…I'll be good and I won't ever do it again!" she promised.

"I know you won't, honey," Hiram soothed, rubbing Rachel's back.

"Dad—"

"Listen to your mother, Rachel," said Hiram. "Go get your stuff ready."

"No!" Rachel shook her head stubbornly.

"Rachel!" LeRoy boomed, making everyone jump. "If you don't get your butt upstairs this minute, your mother won't be the only one spanking you tonight!"

Rachel stared up at her father, wide-eyed and scared. She had never heard him yell at her like that, or threaten to spank her. All of this talk of spanking had scared her to begin with. She was confused and nervous and she wanted one of her parents to hold her and stop being upset with her. Now her daddy was beyond angry with her and she didn't really understand why. It's not like she hadn't whined and pleaded with her fathers for leniency before. Why was this time different?

Before Rachel knew it, she was hauled off of the sofa and a hard swat landed on her bottom. "Daddy, ow!" she yelped, flinging her hands back for protection. She felt herself being released and took off towards the stairs without a second thought.

LeRoy let out a strangled cry as he flopped back into the armchair, defeated. What had just happened? He never let his anger get the better of him. Something had snapped inside him and he had had enough. It had taken everything in him to hold himself together during that conversation and the stress of it all must have gotten to him. But what had he done? He had never shouted at Rachel like that before, and certainly never swatted her. He looked down at his palm and could feel the tingling grow more intense. He was sure Rachel's bottom stung just as much.

"What did I do?" he choked out, his head falling into his hands.

"LeRoy, it happens," Shelby spoke softly.

LeRoy let out a gruff laugh as he met the woman's eyes. "I was so angry with her…She wouldn't stop arguing back and I just…I've never done that."

Hiram reached a hand out to grasp his husband's. "It's been a long night for all of us," he said.

Rachel lay facedown on her bed, sobbing into her pillow for all she was worth. Her left cheek stung from where her father swatted her, which only made her cry more. A voice inside her head told her she should be packing up her things so she was ready to leave, but she ignored it. She didn't care if she was ready or not. She was hurting and wanted to wallow in self-pity.

"I'm going to go talk to her," LeRoy said as he stood. "God only knows what she's thinking and I can't…She didn't deserve to be treated that way."

Rachel was so caught up in her misery that she didn't hear the rap on the door. It wasn't until she heard her daddy call her name that she jolted into a sitting position.

LeRoy's heart broke at the sight of his daughter sobbing into her pillow. She jumped up in alarm as he called for her and felt another pang of guilt course through him at the frightened look she gave him. She should never look at him like that, but he had caused that. Tears sprang into his eyes as he took a step closer to her bed.

A surge of panic rushed through Rachel's body as her father made his way towards her. Her stomach flopped and she worried that he was going to make good on his threat.

"Daddy…Please…Don't…" she managed to say through body-wrenching sobs.

"Oh Rachel," he sighed, sitting next to the girl. He held his arms out and she crashed into him, sobbing into his shoulder.

LeRoy began to rock as he cooed softly into Rachel's ear like he had when she was a baby.

"I'm s-s-sorry I made you m-mad!" she wailed.

"Hush now, shhh," LeRoy comforted, rubbing the girl's back. "I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. I let my anger get the best of me. I'm sorry, honey. Please stop crying."

It took nearly ten minutes for Rachel's tears to turn to sniffles and then hiccups. LeRoy held her and rocked her and waited it out. He knew sometimes it was all that could be done. For all of her bravado, Rachel was a very sensitive child. She always had been. When she really got going, she could cry for hours on end. When the girl was little, the fathers were scared that she would dehydrate herself and would bring her a glass of water to sip on. It got to the point that whenever Rachel was sad, she expected her glass of water.

"Let me up, Rach. I'll be right back," LeRoy said after another few minutes had passed. Rachel sniffed and scooted back on the bed, grabbing her pillow and snuggling it close. LeRoy brushed a strand of hair behind the girl's ear as he stood and made his way into her attached bathroom.

Rachel smiled when she saw her father returning with one of the glasses they kept in the medicine cabinet for times such as this. She readily accepted the water and took a long drink before handing it back to the man to set on her nightstand.

"Thank you, Daddy," she said.

"You're welcome, honey," LeRoy replied, reclaiming his spot on the bed next to her. "I really am so sorry for how I reacted downstairs, Rachel. You didn't deserve to be treated that way. I was angry and let my emotions get the better of me, which isn't fair to you. I'm supposed to remain reasonable and I didn't."

"You scared me," Rachel admitted, focusing on her hands.

"I didn't mean to, sweetheart. I'm sorry," LeRoy replied, laying his hand over Rachel's. "Can you forgive me?"

Rachel met her father's eyes and nodded. She could see the hurt reflected in them. "I can," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. She smiled as she felt his strong arms wrap around her and pull her close. She always felt safest in the loving arms of her fathers.

LeRoy was happy to hold his daughter as long as she wanted to be held. He helped her snuggle onto his lap and the two sat in contented silence until Rachel spoke up.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Rach?"

"I'm scared."

"Of me?" LeRoy worried, crooking his head down to look into Rachel's eyes. Rachel shook her head but didn't offer any more.

"What are you afraid of?" he prodded. This time the girl lowered her gaze and LeRoy noticed a blush forming on her cheeks. "Oh," he said knowingly.

"I don't want to be…you know… _that_ ," Rachel muttered.

LeRoy couldn't help but chuckle, which made Rachel groan. "That's the whole point," he said. "It's supposed to deter you from wrongdoing. You'll learn from this spanking and will hopefully think twice about doing something like this again."

"But I _won't_ do it again," Rachel insisted.

"Rach…I know you don't want this to happen and that's understandable. But it is going to happen. You deserve every bit of this punishment, I'm afraid," LeRoy replied, his voice gentle.

"But Daddy!" the girl whined, "Don't you think I'm too old for this to be implemented now? It's not exactly fair."

LeRoy shook his head at his daughter's argument. "It wasn't fair to send Sunshine to that crack house either, was it, young lady?" he said with a hint of sternness.

Rachel sighed and hung her head. "No, Daddy."

LeRoy reached out and cupped Rachel's chin, tilting the girl's head up so he could look directly into her eyes. "You're a good girl, Rachel…You made some bad choices recently, but I know you'll learn from this. Your mother and father and I are so proud of you and love you, no matter what you do," LeRoy said.

Rachel closed her eyes as her dad kissed her head. As he pulled back, she frowned and asked, "Did Papa really use a paddle on you?"

"He did. And on Uncle Leonard as well," LeRoy chuckled.

"Did it hurt?"

"Yes, it did…but Papa always held us afterwards until we stopped crying and were okay. We knew we were loved and forgiven and we could move on from that mistake."

"Do you…um…do you think Mom'll do that…after?" Rachel blushed.

"I know she will," LeRoy confirmed. "She loves you so much. She'll hold you as long as you want when it's over."

"It's gonna hurt!"

LeRoy sighed and pulled his child close once more. "Yes, it is. And you'll probably cry…but you know that your mom would never hurt you, right? What I mean is, the spanking will hurt, but your mom isn't doing it to be mean or because she's angry with you. It's meant to teach you a lesson and make you think about your actions. Do you understand that, Rachel?"

Rachel sniffed. "I understand. I don't like it though," she pouted.

"You aren't meant to," LeRoy chuckled. "This will all be over soon, honey, and we'll move on."

Rachel paced back and forth in her room at her mother's house, pausing her vigil every few minutes to listen for footsteps in the hall. They had been home for almost forty minutes now, Rachel had showered and gotten into her pajamas, and still her mom hadn't come to _"finish their discussion"_ as promised.

It was cruel and unusual punishment, if you asked the teen. She had been sent to her room to await her torture with no idea of when it would happen. What was her mother doing anyway? Surely it didn't take her this long to shower?

The girl had just turned away from the door to complete her four-hundredth and twenty-third circuit around her room when she heard the rap on her door. She jumped and hurried to sit on her bed.

"C-come in," she gulped, watching the knob turn slowly. Her eyes darted down to the floor the moment she saw the door inch open.

Shelby's heart was heavy as she entered her daughter's bedroom. She wasn't looking forward to the next few minutes as she punished the girl, but knew that it was necessary. She had to be strong and carry out her promise; otherwise Rachel wouldn't take her seriously as a disciplinarian. Shelby hated that her first time punishing her child had to be so firm, but she couldn't change that.

The mother's eyes fell on her daughter perched nervously on the edge of her bed, her head lowered. The girl didn't look up as Shelby entered the room and made her way over to the bed.

Shelby's socked feet made their way into Rachel's line of sight, breaking up the monotony of the beige carpet. She swallowed the lump forming in her throat as her eyes slowly traveled up her mother's form to her face. She nervously locked onto the hazel eyes and was surprised when she didn't see any trace of anger or disappointment. Her mom looked at her like she always did—full of love.

Unable to hold the gaze any longer, Rachel returned to staring at the floor. She heard her mother let out a small sigh and then felt the mattress sink as she sat besides her.

"Rachel, look at me," Shelby ordered gently. When brown eyes met hazel, Shelby continued. "I think your dads and I pretty much said everything we needed to before, but I want to make sure you understand everything you did wrong and why you're getting this spanking. I'm going to say what you did wrong and you're going to tell me why it was wrong. Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," Rachel whispered, tears stinging her eyes.

"Okay," Shelby nodded. "Sending Sunshine to the crack house."

"I…um…I lied to her about where the try-outs were happening and uh…s-she could have gotten hurt."

"Right," Shelby confirmed. "You could have been friends with Sunshine, but instead you pushed her away and were the reason she switched to another school. You were no better than the kids who bully you in this instance, Rachel. You could have been suspended for your actions if Mr. Schuester had gone to Mr. Figgins. Did you think about that?"

Rachel shook her head, tears falling at a steady pace. "I-I didn't mean to…It was just s-supposed to scare her from joining G-Glee!" she cried. "I d-didn't…I wasn't trying to be a…a bully!"

"I know you weren't, honey," Shelby said, her voice gentle. "You didn't think about the consequences of your actions, and I know you didn't go into this thinking you were going to hurt someone, but Rachel, you _did_ hurt Sunshine."

Rachel had thought she couldn't feel any worse, but she had been wrong. Her mother's words cut into her like a hot knife and all she could do was cry.

Shelby hated to see Rachel so upset, but she needed to push forward. It would be better in the end for both of them to get this over with.

"Okay, next one," she said. "You lied to your dads and me."

"Um…because I…lied?" the girl faltered, glancing up anxiously at her mother. She wasn't sure what else to say.

Shelby had to cover her sudden laugh with a cough; something about Rachel's expression and confusion was funny in this moment. It shouldn't have been, but there it was. Shelby shook her head and decided to take over for her girl. She had meant this talk beforehand to be a brief review with a few new points that Shelby had thought of since the big talk with the dads had happened.

"By lying to us, Rach, you break the trust that your dads and I have in you. We expect you to always tell us the truth and when you don't, we have to start second-guessing everything you say to us. None of us want that," Shelby explained.

"Mom—"

"I'm not finished," Shelby silenced the teen. She wanted to say everything she needed and then move on to the spanking. She didn't like it hanging over her head, as she was sure Rachel didn't.

"Finally, forging my name is not only dishonest but illegal. You could have gotten into a lot of trouble again if Mr. Schuester decided to go to the principal. And it reaffirms for your dads and me that we can't trust you. I know you are so much better than this, Rachel, and I'm disappointed in you."

Rachel was sobbing by the time her mom finished scolding her. She was relieved when she found herself wrapped tightly in her mother's arms.

Shelby rubbed Rachel's back and rocked them gently for a moment, wanting to calm the girl down before they moved on to the next step. Her heart broke as she listened to the girl's cries and she took several deep breaths to steady her nerves.

"Alright, Rachel," she said after another minute. "Let's get this over with."

Shelby stood Rachel up and situated herself on the bed before taking the girl's hands in her own. She rubbed the backs of her hands and stared up into Rachel's watery eyes.

"I love you, Rachel. You are my child and I will love you no matter what you do. It's my job to help guide you and make sure you grow up to be the best person you can be," she said, pushing down her own tears.

Shelby let go of Rachel's hands and Rachel shifted nervously in front of the woman. She had no idea what was going to happen next. She assumed her mom was going to pull her over her lap—that's how Rachel had seen spankings done in older movies. Would she make her bend over by herself? Rachel didn't think she could willingly go across her mother's lap, knowing she was submitting to having her ass smacked.

Shelby's hands shook as she reached for the waistband of her daughter's sweatpants and she clenched her fists to stop them. With a silent reprimand, Shelby pushed forward. Her fingers hooked under the waistband and with a gentle tug, the pants came down.

Rachel gasped the moment she felt her mother's hands at her waist. She tried to take a step back, but her mom had just pulled her sweats down to her knees and Rachel's movement was hindered.

"Mom, no," Rachel found her voice. She reached for her pants in an attempt to pull them back up. The girl had prepared for her upcoming spanking by choosing to wear the thickest pair of sweatpants she owned. Surely the thick fabric would help cushion the blows so she wouldn't feel them as much. And in case they weren't enough, she also donned a pair of loose mesh shorts underneath.

Shelby stared dumbfounded at her daughter. The whole situation would have been comical if it weren't serious. Rachel stood, hands clenched firmly on her sweats that were now half-mast, revealing her bright blue shorts with a green and white racer stripe underneath.

Shelby was shaken from her stupor the moment Rachel tried to yank the sweatpants back up. She swatted at the girl's hands and continued the descent of the pants down and completely off. Before Rachel could even fight her on her shorts, Shelby had grabbed a handful of material in both hands and yanked down.

Rachel whimpered as her shorts fell to the floor and she stood in front of her mother in nothing more than her t-shirt and underwear. Before she could even be embarrassed, she was falling forward over her mom's lap.

"Mommy, _please_ ," she begged, pushing up on her elbows. Rachel didn't like this at all and wanted to be let up, but her mother quickly wrapped her arm around her middle and held her steady. Rachel let out a sob and craned her neck to give her mom a tearful pout.

"This is happening, Rachel, and it was always going to be on your bare bottom," Shelby announced, her voice cracking ever so slightly. With that, she lowered the girl's underwear, completely baring her.

Shelby stared down at the upturned bottom before her, wondering once more if she was doing the right thing. She had no idea what she was doing, truthfully. Besides for the few swats she had given Rachel these past several months, Shelby had never spanked anyone before. She had, however, been on the receiving end of more than her fair share of them. Thinking back to all the times she had found herself draped over her mother's lap, Shelby steeled her resolve. Shelby had always learned a valuable lesson from her own spankings as a teen, and now, so would Rachel.

Rachel saw her mother's hand raise high into the air and she whipped her head around to stare at her comforter. It seemed like time stood still as she waited for Shelby's palm to land on her unprotected skin.

The sound came first, a loud crack that reverberated throughout the room. As the pain spread across her cheek, Rachel arched up and let out a piercing scream.

Shelby winced at her daughter's cry, worrying that she had hit too hard. She looked down at the milky skin of the girl's bottom and could see no sign of the swat, not even a light blush. Deciding Rachel was simply being dramatic, Shelby administered a second swat to the opposite cheek. She paused for a moment, waiting for Rachel's reaction; the girl yelped and wiggled to get away, but it was nothing like before.

The mother fell into a steady rhythm, alternating between cheeks and then hitting both in one go. She closed her heart and ears to her daughter's cries, knowing she'd never get through this if she let herself be affected by them. Rachel gasped and yelped and tried hard to get up from her mother's lap, but Shelby had a firm hold on her.

"Ow! Mom!" Rachel cried, bucking over her mother's lap. Her bottom was already starting to sting and she had a feeling her mother wasn't going to stop any time soon.

Shelby paused after delivering a full dozen. The girl's skin was just beginning to show the first signs of her spanking. With a heavy sigh, Shelby turned her attention to the junction between bottom and the start of her thighs and peppered them with a volley of hard spanks.

Rachel's cries increased as her mother moved to the more sensitive area. "Owww. S-Stop! Please!" she wailed, throwing a hand back for protection. "Mommy, i-it hurts!"

Shelby blinked back tears even as she pinned Rachel's hand behind her back. "I know it hurts, honey," she said. "It's hurting me too."

Shelby cringed, her mother's voice sounding in her ears _, "This hurts me more than it does you, Shelby."_ She had always hated when her mom or dad had said that to her. But now, Shelby knew what they meant. She had just said as much to her own child.

"Then stop!" the girl cried. She felt completely helpless with her arm pinned behind her and fought against her restraint to no avail. The swats continued, stinging her bottom as if a swarm of bees were attacking her.

"We aren't finished yet, Rach," Shelby said sternly, her voice belying her true feelings. "I hope you remember this the next time you think about hurting another person to get what you want."

"I will! I will!" Rachel promised, kicking her legs in an effort to relieve the pain. "I'll be goo—OW! Mama—I'll be _good!"_

Shelby landed one last spank before stopping and resting her hand on the warm skin. Rachel was crying and hadn't noticed her mother had stopped. Shelby let her girl cry for another minute before helping her up to stand in front of her.

"Is it over?" Rachel sniffled, wiping at her nose with the back of her hand.

"Not quite," Shelby answered. "I need you to get your hairbrush and bring it back to me."

"Why?" Rachel asked, brow furrowing. She couldn't imagine what her mother would need her hairbrush for.

"Mom, no!" Rachel gasped, understanding dawning on her. She shook her head, sending tears flying. "You can't," she insisted as she took a step back, leaving her panties pooled on the floor.

"Rachel, please don't make this any harder than it has to be," Shelby pleaded, her resolve wavering. Her heart ached for Rachel and she wanted nothing more than to call it quits and forgo this last portion of the punishment, but Shelby knew she couldn't.

Her thoughts moved to her own spankings growing up. She had always hated when her parents enforced this last bit of the punishment, not understanding why they couldn't let her off with only a hand spanking. Didn't they know that her bottom hurt and she had learned her lesson? Why did they have to add the hairbrush at the end?

Again, Shelby heard her mother's voice, _"I hate doing this, Shelby, but it's for your own good."_ Shelby always hated that phrase too; if her parents hated it so much, why did they do it? It certainly wasn't for her own good like they always claimed…or was it?

Shelby sighed. She would have to call her parents later and thank them for the way they had raised her. It wasn't easy, she knew that now. And she knew that just as her parents had followed through until the very end, so must she.

"Rachel, bring me your hairbrush," Shelby ordered more forcefully. "You've got fifteen more swats and then we're finished. Let's not drag this out."

"Fifteen?!" the girl balked, shaking her head. A hand snaked back to rub at her sore bottom and she gave her mother the most pathetic look she could muster, hoping for leniency.

Shelby ignored her daughter's look, but it hurt more than she was expecting. She heard her mother's voice coming out of her as she said, "This is the last time I will ask, Rachel. Go get your brush and bring it to me. If I have to say it again, I'm going to make it twenty instead."

Rachel gulped and found her legs moving shakily towards her dresser. She didn't want to be spanked with her hairbrush, but she _especially_ didn't want any extra swats. Her hand clasped around the handle of her wooden brush. It felt heavy in her hand as she turned and made her way back towards her waiting mother.

"Mommy, please…" she begged even as she placed the item into her mother's outstretched hand.

Shelby placed the hairbrush down besides her and then held her hand out once more. "C'mon, honey, let's get this over with," she coaxed, leaning forward to grab her daughter's hand.

Part of Rachel was glad that her mother reached for her; she wasn't able to place herself back over her mother's lap, knowing what was coming. She let out a sob as her mother once again tipped her over her lap, this time settling her between her legs so that she was only across one knee. Shelby's other leg wrapped over Rachel's to hold them in place.

Rachel immediately grabbed onto her mother's pants leg for support and comfort as she felt the cool wood against her flaming backside.

"Mama, please don't—It hurts already!" Rachel pleaded a final time, praying her mother would listen. She buried her head in her comforter when she felt the brush leave her bottom.

"It's almost over, honey," Shelby choked out.

The brush landed with a solid _thwack_ that echoed across the room, followed by a deafening silence. Shelby could feel her pulse roaring in her ears as she waited for Rachel's reaction for what seemed like ages.

Rachel heard the sound of the brush hit seconds before the pain registered. She then sucked in her breath and let it out in a loud "OWWW!"

Unlike her mother's hand that stung with the intensity of a thousand wasps, the brush burned deep into her skin, leaving a feeling of having just sat on a hot stove.

Shelby lifted the brush and brought it down quickly, over and over again. The fight had gone completely out of Rachel and she lay completely spent over her mother's lap, crying for all she was worth. Tears trailed down Shelby's cheeks at the sounds of Rachel's sobs, knowing she was the one causing her daughter such pain.

As soon as number fifteen landed hard across both of Rachel's sit-spots, Shelby threw the brush behind her and rubbed Rachel's back. She let the girl cry for a moment more before moving both of them further back on the bed.

Rachel curled up into her mother's side, practically on top of the woman, and cried into her shoulder. A hand reached behind her to rub at the sting, but the girl quickly realized her mistake. Instead of soothing the skin like she thought, it only made the burn intensify.

"Ow! Mama, it hurts so much!"

"I know, honey. I know it hurts," Shelby replied, not knowing what else to say. She kissed the girl's sweaty head and rubbed circles on her back, trying to comfort her any way she could.

"Are y-you still mad at me? I'm sorry!"

"I'm not mad, Rach," Shelby soothed. "It's all over now. All's forgiven."

Rachel nodded and continued to cry. Her throat was raw from her tears and she wanted a drink of water, but she didn't want to move. She felt safe in her mother's arms, loved. She wasn't willing to give that up yet.

"Okay now," Shelby said after several minutes had passed, "No more tears, that's enough." She managed to sit up, sitting Rachel up with her, and reached for the bottle of water she had brought with her earlier.

Rachel took the proffered bottle with wide eyes, a rush of love flowing through her at her mother's gesture. The girl remembered one of the first times she had spoken to her mother and Shelby telling her that they'd never have moments like she had had with her fathers and yet…here they were—their very own moment.

As Rachel's tears subsided, she became acutely aware of the fact that her bottom was still on full display. Her cheeks blushed and she jumped up, scrambling for her panties.

In her haste to redress, Rachel had forgotten to be gentle and the fabric raked across her bottom, igniting the fire once more.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" she yelped, jumping from foot to foot, hands clasped firmly on her behind.

"Oh, honey," Shelby breathed, trying hard not to laugh. Rachel never failed to make her smile, even at times like this. She got off the bed to go and pull her daughter into a hug before sending the girl off to get ready for bed.

Rachel returned several minutes later, rubbing at her eye with one hand while the other rubbed at her bottom. Shelby smiled warmly at her child, tucking this moment away in her memories. She still couldn't believe sometimes that it was all real.

"Mom? Will you stay with me for a bit? Until I…um…fall asleep?" Rachel asked as she padded over to her bed where her mom was sitting once more.

"Of course I will, Rach," Shelby nodded as she stood to pull the girl's blankets back. She patted the spot she had just vacated, motioning for Rachel to climb in.

With one last rub to her bottom, Rachel clambered into bed and settled down on her stomach.

"Scoot over," said Shelby as she climbed into bed besides her girl. Rachel wasted no time and rested her head on her mother's chest.

"Mom…I really am sorry for…for everything," Rachel whispered.

"I know, honey," Shelby soothed, kissing Rachel's head. She wrapped an arm around her child and pulled her close. "I hated having to be so stern with you, Rach, but I did it because I love you and I won't let you get away with that type of behavior. I hope you learned your lesson so there won't be a need for a repeat performance. I won't hesitate to do it again if I have to. Do you understand?"

Rachel's eyes flicked up to her mother's and she nodded earnestly. "You won't have to do that _ever_ again. I promise!" she exclaimed.

"I'm not sure you can keep that promise," Shelby chuckled, her eyes twinkling. "I do believe that you'll try though. You're a good girl, Rachel, and your mistakes last week don't change that. The slate has been wiped clean, baby."

A contended silence fell over mother and daughter, and Shelby had begun to think Rachel had fallen asleep until the girl cleared her throat. "Mom?" she asked.

"Hmm?"

"Maybe I can…um…write Sunshine a letter to, uh…apologize. Would you give it to her?" said Rachel.

Shelby smiled and nodded. "I think that's a fantastic idea, Rach. Of course I'll give it to her," she replied.

"Thanks, Mama," Rachel breathed. "Will you sing to me?"

Shelby smiled and began to sing a gentle melody that her mother had oftentimes sung to her as a child. Before long, Shelby could feel Rachel's body go limp and her breath even out as she fell asleep. She stayed snuggled up in bed for a long time, letting her thoughts wander.

The fears Shelby had felt when first seeing Rachel grown up in front of her seemed so far away and silly now. After five months of getting to know her daughter, Shelby was learning just how much a kid her daughter was—a kid who needed her mom. And Shelby found out that she needed her kid too. Whatever lay ahead of them, Shelby was ready to tackle head on. She had made the first step and now it was just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other, one step at a time.

* * *

 **As always, let me know what you thought! Reviews and PMs are welcome, or come chat with me on Tumblr! Search for DARecruit. :)**


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